The United States announced late Wednesday that it had reopened its embassy in Kiev, which had been closed for the day due to a serious air attack threat, a day after Ukraine used U.S. missiles to attack targets inside Russia.
Russia describes the US missile attack as an escalation of a 1,000-day-old war, while Ukrainian military intelligence says Russia is trying to sow panic by disseminating false online messages about impending missile and drone strikes. said.
“@USEmbassyKyiv has resumed service following a temporary shelter-in-place suspension earlier today,” US Ambassador to Ukraine Brigitte Brink wrote on X.
“We urge Americans to remain vigilant, monitor official Ukrainian sources for the latest information, and be prepared to evacuate in the event of an air alert. Continue to encourage.”
The US State Department had previously said it expected the Kiev embassy to resume normal operations on Thursday.
The State Department's initial statement posted on the embassy's website said the embassy would be closed “out of an abundance of caution.” Embassy staff were told to “evacuate to a designated location”.
“The U.S. Embassy recommends that U.S. citizens be prepared to evacuate immediately in the event an air alert is issued.”
The Kremlin said it had no comment.
A US official said the embassy closure was “related to the continuing threat of air attacks.” The Italian and Greek embassies also said they had closed their doors. The French embassy remained open, but the public was urged to exercise caution.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Ukrainians to pay close attention to air raid warnings, saying “the panic-inducing messages spread today will only help Russia.”
“No matter how many brutal and dangerous attacks we have endured by Russia… it is important that we remain alert to air raid sirens,” he said in a video address tonight. “We have some insane neighbors.”
The GUR military intelligence agency said: “The enemy is unable to subdue the Ukrainian people by force and is resorting to social intimidation and psychological pressure. We ask for your vigilance and resolute response.”
President Zelenskiy also expressed gratitude for a new $275 million U.S. military aid package announced by the State Department that focuses on ammunition, drones and missiles.
Ukraine on Tuesday used U.S. ATACMS missiles to attack weapons depots in Russia, taking advantage of new authorization from outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden on the 1,000th day since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. .
For weeks, Russia has been signaling to the United States and its allies that Moscow would view it as a serious escalation if it allowed Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with Western-supplied missiles.
Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin said in an interview published Wednesday that the Russian government: retaliate against NATO countries promoting Ukraine's long-range missile attacks on Russian territory;
psychological manipulation
In the early afternoon, the Ukrainian Air Force called on the population to evacuate due to a missile threat. Government officials urged the public not to ignore the warning.
This came shortly before the GUR spy agency issued a warning about Russian psychological operations involving fake messages it claimed to have sent.
“Today, messages are being spread through messengers and social networks about the threat of 'particularly large-scale' missile and bomb attacks against Ukrainian cities,” GUR said in a statement.
Two Ukrainian military officials told Reuters in a message that Russia has launched more than 300 drones and plans to use warships, fighter jets and ground-based systems to fire missiles in a large salvo. He said he received it.
Reuters could not immediately determine how the message was sent. One soldier said he got it from a friend.
With nearly a fifth of Ukraine's territory in Russian hands, North Korean troops deployed in Russia's Kursk region, and US President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House, future aid is in question. The war is at a precarious crossroads.
On Sunday, Russia carried out a major missile and drone attack on Ukraine's national power grid, killing seven people and renewing concerns about the durability of the crippled energy grid.
The GUR intelligence agency earlier announced a “successful raid” on a Russian military command post in the town of Gubkin in Russia's Belgorod region, about 165 miles from the border with Ukraine.
The statement did not say who carried out the attack, when it took place or what type of weapon was used. Ukraine also uses drones for deep strikes against Russian targets.
Bloomberg later quoted Western officials as saying that Ukraine had fired a British Storm Shadow missile at Russia.
A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Downing Street does not comment on reports or operational matters. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
“Russia's persistent attacks”
The embassy in Kiev has advised U.S. citizens in Ukraine to stock up on necessities such as water, food and necessary medicines in case of a “possible temporary loss of electricity and water” due to a Russian attack. I called out.
“Russia's persistent attacks on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine could result in power outages, loss of heating, and disruption of municipal services,” it said.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the bar for a nuclear attack in response to a broader range of conventional attacks. The US government subsequently said it saw no reason to adjust its nuclear posture.
